U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF   AGRICULTURE. 

BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY     BULLETIN  NO.  120. 


B.  T.  (SALLOW  \  Y.  - .' 


THE  PRODUCTION  OF  EASTE 
IN  THE  UNfrED  STA' 


GEORGE  \Y.  OLIVER, 
Plant  Pbopagator,  Bureau  op  Plant  Imhstkv. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE 

1   '.Ml  v. 


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[Continued  on  page  3  of  cover.] 
120 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF   AGRICULTURE 

BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY-   BULLETIN  NO.  120. 

It.  T.  GALLOWAY,  </,,.. ,  ,,i  Bureau. 


THE  PRODUCTION  OF  EASTER  LILY  BULBS 
IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


GEORGE  W.  OLIVER, 
Plant  Propagator,  Bureau  of  Plant  [ndustrj 


Issued  January  10,  1908. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING     OFFICE. 
1  !»08. 


BUREAU  OF  PLANT  INDUSTRY. 

Pathologist  and  Physiologist,  and  Chief  of  Bureau,  Beverly  T.  Galloway. 

Pathologist  and  Physiologist,  and  Assistant  Chief  of  Bureau,  Albert  i'.  Woods 

Laboratory  of  Plant  Pathology,  Erwin  F.  Smith,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Investigations  of  Diseases  <,f  Fruits,  Merton  B.  Waite,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Laboratory  <>f  Forest  Pathology,  Haven  Metcalf,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Plant  Life  History  Investigations,  Walter  T.  Swingle,  Physiologist  in  Charge. 

Cotton  and  Tobacco  Breeding  Investigations,  Archibald  l>.  Shamel,  Physiologisl   in  Charge. 

Corn  Investigations,  Charles  P.  Hartley,   Physiologist  in  Charge. 

Alkali  and  Drought  Resistant  Plant  Breeding  Investigations,  Thomas  II.  Kearney,  Phys- 
iologist in  Charge. 

Soil  Bacteriology  and  Water  Purification  Investigations,  Karl  P.  Kellerman,  Physiologisl 
in  Charge. 

Bionomic  Investigations  of  Tropical  and  Subtropical  Plants,  Orator  I'.  Cook,  Bionomist  in 
Charge. 

Drug  and  Poison/inn  Plant  Investigations  and  Tea  Culture  Investigations,  Rodney  II.  True, 
Physiologist  in  Charge. 

Physical  Laboratory,  Lyman  .1.  Briggs,  Physicist   in  Charge. 

Crop  Technology  Investigations,  Nathan  A.  Cobb,  Expert  in  Charge. 

Taxonomic  Investigations,  Frederick  V.  Coville,  Botanist   in  Charge. 

Farm    Management   Investigations,  William  .1.  Spillman,    Agriculturist    in  Charge 

Grain  Investigations,  Mark  A.  Carleton,  Cerealist  in  Charge. 

Arlington  Experimental  Farm,  Lee  C.  Corbett,  Horticulturist   in  Charge 

Sugar  Beet  Investigations,  Charles  0.  Townsend,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

Western  Agricultural  Extension  Investigations,  Carl  s,  Scofield,  Agriculturist  in  Charge. 

Dry  Land  Agriculture  Investigations,  E.  Channing  Chilcott,  Agriculturist   in  Charge. 

Pomological  Collections,  Gustavus  B.  Brackett,  Pomologist  in  Charge. 

Field  Investigations  in  Pomology,  William  A.  Taylor  and  G.  Harold  Powell,  Pomologists  in 
Charge. 

Experimental  Gardens  and  Grounds,  Edward  M.  Byrnes,  Superintendent. 

VegetabU    Testing  Gardens,  William  W.  Tracy,  sr.,  Superintendent. 

Seed  dm]  Plant  Introduction,  David  Fairchild,  Agricultural  Explorer  in  Charge. 

Forage  Crop  Investigations,  Charles  V.  Piper,  Agrostologist  in  Charge. 

Seed  Laboratory,  Edgar  Brown,  Botanist  in  Charge. 

drain  Standardization,  John  1>.  Shanahan,  Expert   In  Charge. 

Subtropical  Laboratory  and  Garden,  Miami.  Fla.,  Ernst  A.  Bessey,  Pathologist  in  Charge. 

ruini  Introduction  Canlm.  Chico,  Cal.,  August  Mayer,  Experl  in  Charge. 

South  Texas  Garden,  Broivnsville,  Tex.,  Edward  C.  Green,  Pomologist  in  Charge. 

Cotton  Culture  Farms,  Seaman  A.   Knapp,  Lake  Charles.   I. a..  Special   Agent   in  Charge. 


/  ,1,1  or.  J.  E.   Rockwell. 
(liirf  Cla  k,  .lames  1 :    Jone 
120 

■> 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


I  .  >.  Depart.m  in  t  i  >f   A.gri<  i  lture, 

Bi  re  u    oi    Plant   [ndustry, 

(  )ffice  of  the  (  IlIIEl  . 
II  ishington,  l>.  (..  October  3,  1007. 
Sir:  1  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  a  manuscript  entitled 
'•The  Production  of  Easter  Lily  Bulbs  in  the  United  States,"  by 
Mr.  George  W.  Oliver,  Plant  Propagator  of  thi>  Bureau,  and  recom- 
mend that  it  be  published  a-  Bulletin  No.  L20  of  the  series  of  the 
Bureau  of  Plant   [ndustry. 

The  Easter  lily  is  of  great  importance  to  florists,  it-  bulbs  being 
largely  imported  from  Bermuda  and  Japan.  The  imported  bulbs, 
however,  arc  not 'satisfactory,  and  if  the  industry  of  forcing  these 
plant-  so  that  they  will  be  in  flower  at  Easter  is  to  be  continued  it 
will  be  necessary  to  produce  the  bulbs  in  this  country.  The  problem 
of  producing  these  bulbs  in  the  United  State-  has  been  studied  for 
some  years  by  members  of  the  -tali'  of  this  Bureau,  and  the  accom- 
panying paper  summarizes  the  information  on  the  subject  to  date. 
Mr.  ( )liver  has  shown  that  healthy  bulbs  can  be  readily  and  profitably 
produced  in  this  country  and  that  disease-resistant  strains  ran  easily 
be  maintained. 

Respect  fully.  B.  T.  (  Ullow  w. 

<  '!t'n  !   <>/'  II a ri  mi. 
Hon.  Ja  m  es   \\  ii  -i  >\  . 

$      r,  tun/  of  .\<J  r'n  nit  a  ii  . 


120 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/preastOOunit 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

Disease  in  Imported  imiiis        7 

Previous   efforts   to   establish   the   growing  of   Easter    lily   luillis   in    the 

Dnlted   States                                                                        7 

Trials  of  imported  bulbs  in  California                     - S 

Origin  of  the  efforl  t<>  grow  seedlings             -          8 

The  must  suitable  localities  for  lily  bulb  growing              :i 

The  besl  varieties  t<>  grow 13 

Advantages  of  seedlings  over  plants  produced  by  vegetative  propagation  1  l 

The  selection  of  seed  bearers 14 

The  selection  of  seedling  types  for  propagation                    15 

The  preparation  of  the  soil ir. 

Beds  versus  rows  !"■ 

Size  of  seedlings  at  time  of  planting 16 

The  pollination  of  the  Bowers     It; 

Sowing  tin'  seed    17 

Pricking  nil'  the  seedlings is 

Temperature  and  precipitation  in  the  Bermudas                   18 

Temperature  records  of  the  lily-growing  localities  of  the  Dnited  States  l'.i 

Description  of  plates     22 

Index 23 

120 

5 


I  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 

Plate  I.  Field  of  hybrid  seedling  Easter  lilies  coming  into  flower  twelve 

months  after  planting  a1  Santa  Ana.  Cal 22 

II.  The  same  Meld  shown  in  Plate  I  in  bloom,  after  three-fourths 

of  the  flowers  had  hern  cut 22 

III.  Raising  Easier  lilies    it   Santa   Ana.  Cal.       Fig.  1. — Cloth  house 

used  in  raising  seedlings  previous  to  planting  in  the  Held. 
Fig.  2. — Interior  of  cloth  house  shown  in  figure  1,  containing 
100.000  seedlings  ready  for  the  Held 22 

IV.  Hybrid  Easter  lilies.     Fig.  1.  —Two-year-old  hybrid  Easter  lily 

plant  with  35  flowers,  grown  at  Ventura,  Cal.  Fig.  2.— Cap- 
sules and  seeds  of  /.ilium  longiflorum  harrisii  X  L.  longiflo- 
nuii    22 

I  I  S  I     FIGURES. 

Fig.  1.  Sketches  showing-  various  stages  of  development  in  the  ger- 
mination of  L  Hi  urn  longiflorum 9 

2.  Two-year-old  bulbs  from  seed  of  Lilium  longiflorum  giganU  um 

X  /..  I.  harrisii,  grown  at  Santa  Ana.  Cal 11 

::.  Bulb  of  Lilium  longiflorum  giganteum  X  L.  I.  harrisii,  three 
years  from  seed,  weighing  134  grams  and  measuring  1  I' 
inches  in  circumference  when  harvested.  gl'OWD  at  Santa 
Ana.    Cal 12 

IL'0 

G 


B     I  ■     l 


THE  PRODUCTION  OF  EASTER  LILY  BULBS 
I\  THE  UNITED  STATIN. 


DISEASE   IN   IMPORTED    BULBS. 

At  the1  present  time  Bermuda  is  the  main  source  of  supplj'  of 
Easter  lily  bulbs  for  the  United  States.  The  mild  winter  climate 
ni'  the  island  is  \n\  favorable  in  the  growth  of  these  lilies  in  the 
open  iiir.  but  the  area  of  arable  land  is  limited  and  many  of  the 
farms  arc  so  small  that  alteration  of  crops  is  not  practiced  with  lilies, 
onion-,  and  potatoes,  which  are  the  staple  crops. 

As  a  result  of  these  conditions  and  the  fact  thai  careful  selection 
is  not  practiced  the  vigor  of  the  lily  bulbs  produced  is  lessened  and 
weak  plant-  are  produced  from  them.  As  a  consequence  the  plants 
grown  from  Bermuda  bulbs  in  greenhouses  in  the  United  States  arc 
in  a  very  unsatisfactory  condition.  In  many  cases  from  50  to  7."> 
per  cent  of  the  plants  arc  diseased  to  such  an  extent  as  to  be  prac- 
tically unsalable;  in  fact,  they  arc  so  seriously  affected  thai  many 
florists  would  willingly  give  up  their  cultivation  altogether  were 
n  not  that  their  patrons  demand  the  lily  in  it-  season.  The  problem 
how  and  where  to  produce  the  bulbs  within  our  own  borders  there- 
fore confronts  those  who  would  continue  in  this  industry.  That  this 
problem  will  be  solved  -non  there  is  little  doubt.  It  is  not  likely  that 
American  growers  will  be  able  to  harvest  the  bulbs  and  place  them  on 
the  market  as  early  as  the  Bermuda  crop,  but  judging  from  presenl 
appearance-  their  efforts  will  re-ult  in  supplying  bulbs  practically 
free  from  disease. 

h  i-  said  that  about  3,000.000  bulbs  are  annually  imported  from 
Bermuda  and  that  about  20,000  salable  bulbs,  ranging  in  size  from 
three  to  live  inches  in  circumference,  can  be  grown  on  an  acre  of 
ground  from  mother  bulbs  planted  the  preceding  year.  The  second 
year's  crop  of  bulbs  of  that  size,  whether  from  seedlings  or  from 
l)iill)s.  should  therefore  bring  from  $1,000  to  $2,000  an  acre. 

PREVIOUS    EFFORTS    TO    ESTABLISH    THE    GROWING    OF    EASTER 
LILY   BULBS   IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 

During  the  past  decade  man}  attempts  have  been  made  by  seed 
lirm-  and  other-,  including  the  Division  of  Botam  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture,  to  grow  the  Easter  lily  commercially  in  the  Carolinas, 

120 


8  PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 

Florida,  and  other  States.  These  efforts  were  useful  in  pointing  out 
places  where  it  was  evidently  impossible  to  produce  bulbs  cultivated 
after  the  manner  now  pursued  in  the  Bermudas  and  Japan. 

.  Both  large  and  small  imported  bulbs  were  planted  at  various 
places  and  received  the  best  of  care,  but  in  every  case  the  crop  when 
harvested  did  not  warrant  a  continuation  of  the  experiments.  All 
of  these  failures  resulted  partly  from  unsuitable  soils,  but  principally 
from  unfavorable  climatic  conditions.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  lily  disease  so  prevalent  in  imported  bulbs  played  its  part 
in  making  the  experimental  work  a  failure. 

TRIALS    OF   IMPORTED   BULBS    IN   CALIFORNIA. 

The  experimental  work  now  being  conducted  on  the  Pacific  coast 
promises  successful  results,  but  even  in  that  region,  favored  as  it  is 
with  nearly  ideal  conditions  in  the  matter  of  soil  and  climate,  good 
results  can  not  be  expected  by  following  the  old  methods  of  asexual 
propagation  practiced  in  the  Bermudas.  This  has  been  shown  re- 
peatedly in  connection  with  several  large  lots  of  selected  imported 
bulbs  planted  out  in  widely  different  localities  for  seeding  purposes. 
These  plants  show  the  usual  amount  of  disease  on  the  foliage,  while 
the  apparently  healthy  plants  propagated  by  division  and  by  scales 
also  show  the  disease  to  such  an  extent  that  it  seems  a  difficult  matter 
to  get  rid  of  the  trouble  by  purely  vegetative  methods  of  reproduction 
from  selected  bulbs. 

ORIGIN   OF   THE  EFFORT   TO   GROW   SEEDLINGS. 

A  few  years  ago  Dr.  Albert  F.  Woods,  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant 
Industry,  in  his  investigations  of  the  lily  disease  discovered  that 
seedling  plants  were  practically  free  from  the  disease.  About  the 
same  time  Mr.  E.  M.  Byrnes,  then  connected  with  the  Office  of 
Public  Buildings  and  Grounds,  but  now  with  the  Bureau  of  Plant 
Industry,  found  that  the  progeny  of  crossed  varieties  were  more 
vigorous  than  either  parent. 

At  the  instigation  of  Dr.  B.  T.  Galloway  the  writer  grew  a  large 
number  of  seedlings  in  the  Department  greenhouses,  and  from  these 
several  pounds  of  seed  resulted.  This  was  distributed  on  the  Pacific 
coast  and  in  Florida.  The  seedlings  grown  in  California  showed 
conclusively  that  with  liberal  treatment  first -class  bulbs  can  be  grown 
by  this  method  much  more  quickly  than  by  asexual  propagation. 
The  plants  are  almost  free  from  disease.  A  few  plants  show  it  here 
and  there  in  first  generation  seedlings,  but  in  the  second  and  third 
generations  it  is  difficult  to  find  an  affected  plant.  These  results 
have  been  so  encouraging  to  practical  men  on  the  coast  that  several 
are  now  engaged  in  getting  up  a  stock  of  seedlings  upon  a  large  scale. 
L20 


MOS  I     SUITABL]      LOCALITIES     FOB    BULB    GBOWING. 


'.» 


THE    MOST   SUITABLE   LOCALITIES    FOR    LILY   BULB    GROWING. 

Although  enough   has   not   been  done  in  an  experimental   way  to 
ascertain  all  of  the  localities  where  lilies  can  be  grown  successfully, 


Fig.    l       Sketches    showing    the    various    stages    ol    development    In    the    germination    of 
1. ilium  longiflorum,     1.  Sprouting  of  the  seed.     -.  An  older  >i:mr,  where  the  eol 

-  the  bending,  while  the  apex  remains  closed  in  the  seed  absorbing  the  endosperm. 
\   Mill  ..1.1. -I-  stage.      I-  Tii.-  cotyledon  has  novi    unfolded  Itself,  raising  the  attached 
seed    lii^'ii    above   tin'   level    of    the   ground.     5.  The    ftrsl    leaf    is   developed    while    the 
cotyled  6.  The  seed  1        d    ipped  ami   three  leaves  are  now  devi 

iu.i   secondary    roots.     The    roots   show    wrinklings    above,    indicating   their   con- 
tractile power  in  drawing  1 1 » *  -  bulblel  deeper  ami  deeper  into  Un- 
it 1 1 1 : i \  be  stated  thai  the  lil\  seedlings  have  shown  greal  vigor  where 
the  winter  temperature  does  not  Tail  beloM  24     I.     Belov  thai  poinl 
l  1886     Bull.  120—07 2 


10  PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 

the  plants  get  a  chock  to  their  growth  and  the  foliage  puts  on  an 
undesirable  yellowish  tinge,  which  remains  during  the  winter. 

In  Florida,  seed  sent  to  persons  who  undertook  experimental  work 
has  not  given  good  results.  The  northern  and  central  parts  of  the 
State  occasionally  get  much  too  cold  to  insure  strong  winter  growth. 
In  the  southern  part  where  seed  has  been  sent  the  reports  of  those 
who  were  experimenting  are  not  very  favorable.  However,  most  of 
those  who  grew  the  seedlings  were  absent  during  the  summer,  in 
which  season  the  growing  plants  need  very  close  attention.  It  is  pos- 
sible, therefore,  that  the  failures  may  he  charged  to  want  of  atten- 
tion at  critical  periods. 

At  Miami.  Fla.,  the  temperature  is  neither  too  hot  in  summer  nor 
too  cold  in  winter  for  growing  bulbs.  During  the  period  from  Sep- 
tember, 1895,  to  December,  1903,  the  temperature  fell  below  the  freez- 
ing point  on  only  two  occasions,  the  lowest  being  29°  F.  Under  such 
circumstances  the  bulbs  will  do  well  provided  they  receive  the  neces- 
sary attention. 

At  Key  West,  Fla.,  the  conditions  are  ideal,  closely  approaching 
those  at  Bermuda,  the  extreme  range  of  temperature  in  thirty-three 
years  being  from  41°  to  100°  F.  and  the  extreme  range  of  precipita- 
tion 21.1  to  58.4  inches.  On  the  large  keys  near  the  southeastern 
coast  of  Florida  the  seedlings  do  remarkably  well,  but  the  climatic 
and  other  conditions  during  the  growing  season  are  such  as  to  prac- 
tically prohibil  good  cultivators  from  locating  there. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  State  of  Washington  the  seedlings 
do  not  stand  the  winter  without  protection.  However,  bulbs  planted 
deeply  in  the  fall  make  fine  roots  and  develop  well  the  following 
year,  making  excellent  bulbs  late  in  the  season,  but  much  too  late  for 
early  forcing. 

In  many  parts  of  California,  especially  in  the  hot  interior  valleys, 
where  good  soil  and  plenty  of  water  are  available  and  the  winter  tem- 
perature is  not  too  low,  the  seedlings  thrive  well.  At  Loomis,  a  few 
miles  northeast  of  Sacramento,  the  soil  and  climate  are  well  adapted 
to  their  needs.  Some  areas  in  that  vicinity  are  nearly  frost  less,  and 
the  lilies  come  into  flower  as  early  as  anywhere  in  the  State,  with 
the  possible  exception  of  the  foothills  near  Los  Angeles.  So  far,  none 
of  the  seedlings  have  been  grown  at  Loomis,  hut  judging  from  the 
growth  made  by  mature  bulbs  sent  for  seeding  purposes  and  compar- 
ing it  with  that  made  in  other  sections  the  advantage  lies  with  the 
Loomis  locality.  Very  little  disease  was  apparent  in  the  foliage,  and 
the  flowers  were  open  several  days  in  advance  of  those  from  bulbs 
planted  at  (he  same  period  in  the  valleys  of  the  southern  part  of  the 
State. 

120 


.Musi'    SUITABLE    LOCALITIES    FOB    BULB    GBOWINU. 


11 


At  several  places  south  of  San  Francisco  selected  for  experimental 
work,  11  was  impossible  to  secure  the  carrying  on  of  the  work  necessary 
for  the  raising  of  bulbs  from  seed.  The  seed  would  germinate  well 
(fig.  li.  Km  when  it  came  to  planting  out  the  seedlings  in  spring 
tin'  farmers  and  florists  could  not  be  brought  to  believe  thai  it  was 
possible  in  twelve  months'  time  to  raise  ;i  flowering  plant  from  a 
ling  ii"i   more  than  •_'  inches  high.     (See  fig.   1.  6.)     One  firm  had 

ro, »  seedlings  in  fine  ''1111,11111111  two  years  ago,  but  not  one  was  put 

nut  in  the  field.  Fortunately,  however,  a  few  capable  men  were  found 
who  carried  out  the  instructions  of  the  Department,  l>ut  even  then 
another  difficulty  was  encountered,  for  when  the  lilies  came  in  flower 


2. — Two-year-old    I mllis    from    seed    of    I. ilium    longiflorum    giganteum     5     x    /..    I. 
harrisii   ' .  grown  al  Santa  Ann.  Cal, 

twelve  month-  after  planting  the  seedlings  the  price  offered  by  retail 
florists  for  the  blooms  was  a  temptation  which  few  eon  Id  resist.  I  me 
florist  cleared  s-_t.ii  in  the  spring  of  L907  for  flowers  from  seedlings  on 
a  space  25  by  .5  feet,  and  this  \\ as  only  for  the  flowers  he  did  not  want 
for  seed.  The  removal  of  flowers  and  stems,  of  course,  results  in  bulbs 
of  an  inferior  grade. 

Those  florists  who  have  grown  the  seedlings  Tor  the  bulbs  alone  are 
more  than  pleased  \\  ith  the  results.  This  has  been  done  in  the  vicinity 
of  Santa  Ana.  where  the  soil  and  climatic  conditions  are  evidently 
very  favorable.  Many  of  the  bulbs  harvested  were  of  the  7  to  9  inch 
grade.  Figure  2  -how-  two  2-year-old  bulbs  measuring  nearly  11 
inches  in  circumference,  while  figure  3  illustrates  a  bulb  which  in 

120 


12 


PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 


three  years  from  seed  measured  1H  inches  in  circumference  when 
harvested,  grown  at  Santa  Ana,  Cal.,  by  Mr.  Edgar  A.  Metcalf.  The 
bulbs  secured  from  these  sources  force  well,  and  being  almost  free 
from  disease  the  loss  on  this  account  is  small. 

At  Ventura,  Cal.,  the  conditions  are  extremety  favorable  for  the 
production  of  strong,  healthy  growth,  but  the  bulb  mite  put  an  end  to 
the  experiment  in  that  section  the  second  year.     It  should  be  men- 


Pig.  3. — Bulb  of  I.iliiini  longiflorum  giganteum  9  X  L.  1.  harrisii  J  .  three  years  from  seed, 
weighing  434  grams  and  measuring  14?.  inches  in  circumference  when  harvested,  grown 
at   Santa   Ana,    Cal.      (Two-thirds   natural   size.) 

tioned,  however,  that  the  soil  in  which  the  bulbs  were  planted  had  been 
used  for  calla  lilies  for  several  years. 

At  Longbeach,  Cal.,  the  growth  made  by  the  seedling-  before  plant- 
ing out  was  very  favorable,  and  probably  a  little  distance  from  the 
shore  in  good  soils  the  lilies  would  thrive  well.  At  Yuma,  Ariz.,  the 
growth  made  from  mature  bulbs  planted  for  seeding  promises  well, 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  bulbs  can  be  grown  there  to  mature  quite  as 
early  as  those  from  the  Bermudas. 

In  the  extreme  southern  part  of  Texas  the  possibility  of  producing 
good  bulbs  would  seem  very  encouraging,  but  the  facilities  for  testing 

120 


I  III.    BEST    VARIE  lll>     I  0    GRi  IW.  1  5 

have  been  anything  but  satisfactory.  The  farmers  are  men  who  grow 
crops  on  a  large  scale  as  ;i  rule  and  a  few  hundred  lilies  are  apt  to 
receive  but  scanl  attention  al  critical  periods,  especially  when  staple 
crops  are  being  attended  to. 

At  Brownsville,  Tex.,  one  can  see  in  the  old  Spanish  gardens  very 
healthy  longiflorums  in  bloom  during  the  first  half  of  April.  The 
growth  i-  very  strong  and  absolutely  free  from  even  a  I  race  of  disease. 
On  January  15,  1907,  some  bulbs  of  the  harrisii  variety  planted  near 
Brownsville  had  made  a  strong  growth,  averaging  7  inches  in  height. 
These  bloomed  aboul  the  end  of  March  and  -ceded  fairly  well. 

Unfortunately,  the  temperature  in  the  southeastern  pari  of  Texas  is 
not  very  favorable,  judging  from  the  records  supplied  l>\  the  Weather 
Bureau.  Some  years  the  crop  will  turn  oul  satisfactorily,  but  there 
always  exists  a  danger  <d'  low  temperatures,  on  account  of  which  it 
would  be  unsafe  to  attempt  cultivation  on  a  large  scale. 

THE   BEST    VARIETIES    TO  GROW. 

During  the  past  three  seasons  in  California  the  best  success  has 
been  with  seedlings  which  were  obtained  by  crossing  the  red-stemmed 
Lilium  longifiorum  giganteum  with  Lilium  longiflorum  harrisii. 
(See  PI.  I.  and  PL  IV.  fig.  I.)  The  progeny  is  remarkably  strong 
and  in  some  localities  totally  free  from  disease.  In  the  open  fields 
ihc\  come  into  flower  about  a  week  later  than  the  true  harrisii. 
These  seedling  lilies  of  the  parentage  mentioned  are  composed  of 
four  distinct  type.-:  Long-leafed  and  short-leafed  green-stemmed 
plant-,  and  long-leafed  and  short-leafed  red-stemmed  plant-.  All 
-how  a  remarkable  freedom  of  bloom.  Mr.  Fred.  Rafferty,  of  Santa 
Ana.  CaL,  bloomed  a  large  number  of  them  in  the  spring  of  L907. 
Although  the  seedlings  were  only  about  3  inches  high  when  planted 
out  in  dune.  I'.mic.  some  of  them  had  28  flower-  to  a  single  stem  in 
dune.  L907.  This  lot  of  seedlings  is  shown  in  Plates  I  and  II.  Two 
years  ago  at  Ventura,  Mr.  S.  Cole  had  some  2-year-old  seedlings  of 
the  same  cross,  one  of  which  had  thirty  five  flowers  to  a  stalk.  This 
plant  i-  -how  n  in  Plate  I  V.  figure  1 . 

On  the  farm  of  the  Santa  Ana  Easter  Lily  Company  during  May. 
L907,  hundreds  of  plant-  had  twenty  or  more  flower-  to  a  stem. 

The  onhj  well  known  variety  which  has  keen  tried  by  the  Depart- 
ment in  California  and  Arizona  i-  the  harrisii  variety  from  bulbs 
imported  from  Bermuda  in  1906.  These  bulbs  were  planted  in 
order  to  produce  seed  after  being  artificially  pollinated.  All  of  the 
stock  grown  turned  out  in  be  more  or  less  diseased  and  mosl  of  the 

plant-,  although  grown  from  good-sized  bulbs,  produced  very  | r 

flowers  and  a  verj  low  yield  of  seeds.  A  small  lot  of  this  variety 
grown  from  -y<->\  has  turned  out  fairly  well,  but  by  this  method  of 
increase  there  are  several  distinct  types,  showing  that  it  can  nol  be 

L20 


14  PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 

depended  upon  to  produce  plants  true  to  the  original  type.  It  would 
seem,  however,  that  many  reliable  growers  in  the  East  think  there 
does  not  exist  the  same  necessity  for  the  harrisii  variety  as  an  early 
forcer  as  there  was  a  few  years  ago  when  cold-storage  bulbs  were  com- 
paratively unknown  for  early  forcing.  If  this  is  true,  then  there  is 
but  little  need  for  haste  in  getting  the  harrisii  variety  into  the  Ameri- 
can market,  when  in  reality  the  bulbs  should  still  be  ripening  in  the 
fields.  If  the  greenhouse  men  could  use  only  the  cold-storage  supply 
for  the  production  of  flowers  during  the  early  part  of  the  year,  the 
fresh  bulbs  would  then  get  an  opportunity  to  ripen  thoroughly  before 
being  taken  from  the  ground.  It  would  seem  advisable  lo  grow  t  \  pes 
from  seed  alone  and  propagate  these  for  one  or  two  seasons  asexu- 
ally,  but  only  from  bulbs  and  not  by  the  scale  method,  using  seeds 
instead  of  scales  to  increase  the  supply  of  bulbs.  But  when  we  have 
types  which  come  absolutely  true  from  seed  there  will  be  little  like- 
lihood of  a  necessity  arising  for  saving  even  the  smaller  bulbs  for 
replanting. 

ADVANTAGES    OF    SEEDLINGS    OVER    PLANTS    PRODUCED   BY 
VEGETATIVE    PROPAGATION. 

The  seedling  method  of  propagation  not  only  has  its  advantages  in 
so  far  as  the  elimination  of  disease  is  concerned,  but  it  is  also  a  much 
quicker  method  than  propagation  from  scales  or  even  from  small 
bulbs.  The  seedlings  one  year  after  planting  very  often  show  as 
many  as  twenty  flowers  to  the  stalk.  During  the  past  season  (1907), 
as  already  stated,  Mr.  Fred.  Rafferty,  of  Santa  Ana,  Cal.,  had  seed- 
lings with  twenty-eight  flowers.  Such  plants  can  be  depended  on  to 
give  bulbs  of  salable  size  the  first  year.  Comparatively  few  of  the 
9  to  11  inch  size  are  produced.  The  usual  sizes  are  from  5  to  7  inches, 
but  a  considerable  percentage  of  the  7  to  (.>  inch  size  is  found  in  lots 
which  have  received  good  attention.  The  crop  is  ready  for  harvesting 
by  the  beginning  of  August.  The  smaller  bulbs  when  replanted  soon 
after  being  harvested  grow  much  better  than  imported  material. 

THE  SELECTION  OF  SEED  BEARERS. 
The  seedlings  now  growing  in  California  are  principally  crosses 
between  the  harrisii  variety  and  the  dark-stemmed  variety  of  longi- 
florum  known  as  giganteum;  others  are  straight  harrisii  seedlings. 
The  crosses  are  exceedingly  vigorous  and  the  harrisii  plants  are  also 
more  vigorous  than  the  parents,  but  less  vigorous  than  the  crosses. 
The  plants  selected  for  bearing  seed  were  apparently  free  from  the 
disease,  which  manifests  itself  in  spotted  leaves,  dwarfed  growth, 
and  distorted  flowers. 

In  selecting  ground  for  planting  seed  hearers  it  should  he  so 
arranged  that  lilies  will  not  be  grown  on  it  for  at  least  three  years 
afterwards. 

120 


i;i  DS   V]  BSUS    ROWS.  1  5 

THE    SELECTION    OF    SEEDLING    TYPES    FOR    PROPAGATION. 

The  variations  among  the  second  generation  seedling  plants  are 
easily  recognizable.  A  batch  of  seedlings  has  usually  four  distinct 
kinds:  Dark-stemmed  (1)  long-leafed  and  (2)  short-leafed,  and 
green-stemmed  (3)  long-leafed  and  (4)  short-leafed.  Three  of 
these  kinds  arc  marked  by  tying  on  pieces  of  raffia,  twine,  and  strips 
of  rags,  respectively,  while  the  fourth  series  of  plants  remains  un- 
marked. One  kind  is  lifted  ai  a  time  and  kepi  separate  for  future 
propagation  by  division  only,  a-  it  i-  scarcely  worth  while  to  employ 
the  tedious  method  of  scale  propagation. 

THE   PREPARATION    OF   THE   SOIL. 

Tin-  preparation  of  tin'  -oil  in  the  field  should  he  attended  to  much 
in  advance  of  the  time  the  seedlings  arc  ready  to  he  planted  out. 
It'  after  a  very  heavy  manuring  a  crop  of  potatoes  of  cabbage  he 
taken  from  the  ground,  it  will  he  in  good  order  for  the  reception  of 
the  seedlings.  In  well-compacted  -oil-  a  heavy  crop  of  cowpeas  or 
other   Legume   deeply    plowed    under   the    previous    summer   should 

bring   about    g I    results.     Immediately    before    planting,   the   soil 

should    lie   worked   by  disking,   rolling,  and   harrowing  t<>  make   it 
smooth  and  easy  to  manipulate  when  putting  in  the  seedlings. 

BEDS   VERSUS   ROWS. 

The  question  of  growing  the  seedlings  in  prepared  lied-  or  in  rows 
at  equal  distances  apart  in  the  held  is  important.  The  bed  system 
requires  hand  work,  while  cultivation  in  rows  2  to  3  feet  apart  can  he 
done  with  a  horse  machine.  The  beds  have  the  following  advantages : 
When  the  lilies  are  planted  moderately  close  together,  the  foliage 
partly  shades  the  ground  and  t he  lilies  protect  each  other  so  that  they 
are  not  likely  to  lie  whipped  aboul  by  the  wind:  moreover,  by  the 
bed  system  inure  bulbs  can  he  grown  to  the  acre  than  in  rows  wide 
apart.  The  foliage  of  bed-grown  plant-  i-  unquestionably  of  a 
deeper  green  than  that  <d'  plant-  grown  in  row-.  In  irrigating,  the 
sunken  spaces  or  alley-  separating  the  beds  can  he  used  to  convej  the 
water.  In  Bermuda  the  lilies  are  all  grown  in  narrow  beds  and  no 
irrigation  i-  practicable,  much  to  the  detriment  of  the  crop  at  time-. 
Growing  lilies  in  beds  with  hand  cultivation  is  necessarily  more 
expensive  than  in  row-  wide  apart  with  hor-e  cultivation,  hut  it  is 
likely  to  he  found  that  the  additional  expense  attending  bed  culture 
w  ill  he  more  than  warranted  by  the  returns,  a-  this  crop  must  not  he 
viewed  in  the  same  manner  a-  the  ordinary  Held  crops  which  yield 
$20,  $40,  mi-  spin  to  the  acre,  h  is  considered  in  Bermuda  that  an 
acre  of  lilies  i-  not  much  of  a  success  unless  it  yields  from  $1,000  to 
$2,000. 

120 


16  PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 

SIZE    OF   SEEDLINGS   AT   TIME   OF   PLANTING. 

The  seedlings  at  planting  time  are  necessarily  very  small,  having 
only  a  few  very  short  and  narrow  leaves — in  fact,  they  seem  anything 
but  promising — and  to  one  who  has  not  had  experience  in  this  line  of 
work  the  appearance  of  the  seedling  plants  would  very  naturally  tend 
to  discouragement.  The  rows  in  the  bed  should  be  about  8  inches 
apart,  and  the  plants  at  least  5  inches.  If  the  soil  is  loose  and  easily 
worked,  they  can  be  put  in  by  hand;  otherwise  a  short  trowel  is  the 
handiest  tool.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  have  the  seedling  bed  too 
wet  at  the  time  of  transplanting,  as  this  has  a  tendency  to  make  the 
plants  flabby.  Water  should  be  given  as  soon  as  they  are  put  in  the 
ground. 

THE    POLLINATION   OF   THE   FLOWERS. 

To  insure  the  production  of  seed,  the  flowers  must  be  artificially 
pollinated,  as  capsules  are  rarely  formed  without  this  operation. 
(PI.  IV,  fig.  2.)  The  pollen  is  not  scattered  by  wind  to  any  extent 
and  insects  evidently  visit  the  flowers  without  accomplishing  a  satis- 
factory transfer  of  pollen  from  the  stamen  to  the  stigmas;  therefore 
recourse  must  be  had  to  hand  pollination.  This  consists  in  taking 
three  or  four  stamens  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger  and  rubbing 
the  anthers,  which  are  copiously  supplied  with  pollen,  against  the 
viscid  surface  of  the  stigmas.  It  is  best  to  transfer  the  pollen  from  the 
flowers  of  one  plant  to  those  of  another,  as  the  flowers  then  set  seed 
better  than  when  the  pollen  of  one  flower  is  transferred  to  the  stigma 
of  the  same  flower  or  to  other  flowers  on  the  same  plant. 

The  best  time  to  select  pollen  is  when  the  anthers  have  shrunk  con- 
siderably and  the  pollen  adheres  to  them  in  great  masses.  This  should 
be  applied  to  the  stigmas  shortly  after  the  segments  of  the  flowers 
open;  the  stigmatic  surface  will  then  be  covered  with  a  viscid  sub- 
stance  which  enables  the  pollen  to  adhere  very  easily.  After  pollinat- 
ing the  flowers  on  outdoor-grown  plants  it  is  advisable  to  cover  then i 
with  paper  bags.  This  is  not  necessary  with  plants  grown  in  the 
greenhouse. 

When  the  flower  is  ready  for  pollen  it  usually  occupies  a  horizontal 
position,  and  when  the  pollen  has  performed  its  mission  the  capsule 
gradually  assumes  an  upright  position  (PI.  IV,  fig.  2),  indicating 
that  fertilization  of  the  ovules  has  taken  place.  Not  more  than  four 
capsules  should  lie  allowed  to  mature  on  one  plant,  as  the  production 
of  seed  seems  to  he  a  considerable  drain  on  its  resource-. 

The  time  required  to  ripen  ^wd  outdoors  varies  with  the  climatic 
conditions.     In  a  greenhouse  the  seed  ripens  in  about  two  months  a  Eter 

120 


sow INi;    THE    SEED.  17 

fert ilization  is  effectei I.  Those  plain-  which  ->■(  seed  do  not  go  t"  rest 
:it  the  same  period  as  those  without  seed  capsules,  bu1  remain  fresh 
and  green  for  several  weeks  after  the  others  have  matured. 

The  ripening  of  the  seed  is  indicated  by  the  capsules  turning  from 
green  i<>  a  light  brownish  color  and  splitting  open  at  the  top.  They 
should  then  In-  gathered  into  a  bag  or  box  and  spread  oul  to  dry. 
When  dry  the  seeds  should  be  removed  from  the  capsules  and  stored 
in  a  cool,  dry  place  until  -own. 

The  plants  selected  for  seed  bearers  should  not  be  subjected  to 
checks  during  the  growing  period.  Water  should  be  given  when 
necessary  and  the  ground  cultivated  as  soon  as  possible  afterwards. 
A  mulch  of  very  old  stable  litter  helps  to  keep  the  soil  cool  and 
moist.  Observance  of  these  details  will  give  the  best  seed  producing 
conditions;  otherwise  1 1  u ■  capsules  will  not   lill  satisfactorily. 

SOWING   THE   SEED. 

The  seed  should  be  -own  as  soon  as  ripe,  which  i-  usually  about 
the  latter  part  of  August  or  the  beginning  of  September,  in  a  place 
where  close  attention  can  be  given  to  shading,  ventilating,  and 
watering.  The  method  which  has  given  most  satisfaction  in  Cali- 
fornia i-  to  sow  the  seed  in  well-prepared  ground  covered  with  a 
doth  house.  (PI.  III.  figs.  1  and  •_'.  i  This  is  easily  and  cheaply 
constructed,  as  a  glance  at  the  accompanying  illustrations  will  -how. 

The  roof  should  In"  high  enough  from  the  ground  to  provide  plenty 
of  -pace  for  a  person  to  move  around  without  stooping.  The  soil 
should  be  about  6  inches  deep,  on  top  of  about  s  inches  of  stable 
manure.  The  bed  should  be  raised  above  the  surface  of  the  ground 
3  or  I  inches  and  edged  with  narrow  boards  a  few  inches  above  the 
path-:  these  will  keep  the  soil  in  position  and  give  a  neat  appearance. 

The  soil  should  consist  of  sandy  loam  mixed  with  screenings  of 
dried  horse  manure,  nol  for  the  purpose  of  enriching  the  soil,  but 
to  make  it  porous  and  easily  worked.  Fresh  manure  is  injurious 
to  the  young  plant-.  Make  the  surface  of  the  beds  level  with  a 
garden  rake.  SOW  the  seed  thinly,  and  pre--  down  with  a  piece  (it 
board.  The  seeds  should  then  be  covered  with  one-half  inch  of 
soil  and  cocoanut  fiber  in  equal  part-:  ground  redwood  hark  will 
answer  the  purpose  quite  as  well,  the  idea  being  to  keep  the  surface 
porous. 

Water  should  be  given  through  a  fine  sprinkler  whenever  the  soil 
shows  indication-  of  becoming  dry.  The  seeds  should  germinate  in 
from  three  to  six  week-.  In  April,  or  a-  soon  a-  the  weather  will 
permit,  the  cloth  may  he  removed  gradually  in  order  to  harden  oil' 
the  young  plant-  previous  to  planting  out.     The  seeds  may  also  I"' 

120 


18 


PRODUCTION    OF    EASTEB    LILY    BULBS. 


sown  in  a  frame  built  and  covered  so  as  to  exclude  sunshine  and 
heavy  rains  while  germination  takes  place:  and  while  the  plants 
are  small  care  should  be  taken  not  to  have  the  seed  beds  too  wet  at 

the  planting-out  period,  as  in  this  condition  the  seedlings  are  more 
easily  wilted  than  otherwise  when  put  in  the  Held. 

PRICKING   OFF   THE    SEEDLINGS. 

It  is  a  question  whether  or  not  it  pays  to  prick  off  the  seedlings 
previous  to  planting  in  the  open  held.  Judging  from  the  behavior 
of  most  other  crops  so  treated,  one  would  suppose  that  it  would  he 
the  best  practice. 

Those  of  the  seedlings  which  were  pricked  off  the  past  season 
undoubtedly  showed  stronger  growth  than  those  left  in  the  -ceil  beds 
till  planting-out  time,  hut  it  i>  claimed  the  operation  doe-  not  -how 
any  beneficial  effects  on  the  plants  a  few  week-  after  being  in  the 
held.  At  any  rate,  there  i-  much  to  he  gained  in  thinning  out  the 
seedlings  and  pricking  them  off  when  they  come  up  too  thickly  in  the 
seed  bed. 

TEMPERATURE  AND  PRECIPITATION  IN  THE  BERMUDAS. 

For  purposes  of  comparison  with  localities  in  the  I'nited  Stale-. 
the  following  table,  showing  the  ranges  of  temperature  and  the  pre- 
cipitation at  Prospect.  Bermuda,  for  each  month  id'  the  year-  L900 
to  l!M)f.  inclusive,  will  be  of  interest  : 


Table    I. —  Temperature    <ni<l    precipitation    at    Prospect.    Bermuda,    from    /.'»"" 

la    I'M))." 

TEMPERATURE. 


Year. 


./Maximum  . 
I  Minimum . . 
(Maximum  . 

I  \!  illinium  .  . 

,  I  M :  i  ximum  . 
"I  Minimum . . 

.,|(|.,[M;i ximum  . 


1901 


1902 


'l  Minimum . 
,,„,,  [Maximum 

'■     'iMinimuin. 


7  ;.  I 
;  ii 
71.8 
19.  J 
71. Ii 
19  2 
71. s 
54.2 
7;;,  I 
16.2 


73.4 

7.(1.  6 
7(i  I 
16  8 

18  0 

71  2 
.[  i. 
7:!.  2 
45. 6 


71.8 

is  6 
73  ii 
51.  I 

71. 'J 

71  ii 
57.11 

7  i    I 


74.2 

I9.ii 
71.0 

111.  I 
7'.'  8 

,!}  n 
71  I 
57.  -1 
77.  I 

i    6 


7S.  4 
56.  s 
-  !  2 
58.  6 

59  I 

7i ;.  2 

-n  6 

60  ii 


-.;  ii 
61  8 
88.0 
64  ii 
83.6 
63  ii 
84.0 
(ii.  1 
84.  1 
ii.",.  6 


•/. 

>. 

Sac 

—. 

< 

89.8 

67  2 

92   1 

:  '  o 

.,,  i 

MM     II 

67.  8 

67.  8 

90.0 

90.8 

67.  1 

70.  2 

86,  1 

88  n 

68.  1 

69.0 

88.6 

,,    i 

91.0 

71.  1 
-7  I 
69  'l 
90.0 
7u  0 
--ii 
67.0 


-     Ii 
61.8 

^7   - 

81.8 
61.6 

83   l 

i,i  6 


59.  4 
74.8 

62.  -J 

77  ii 
57.  I 

77.il 


7.7.  - 

71.0 

75.  (I 
54  8 

16  'i 
19.8 

71.il 

,i   ii 


PRECIPITATION. 


1901 

9.71 

1    7,7 

1.37 

5.17 

,6 

8.09 

1.  II 

1.  II 

8.08 

8    i  i 
l  33 

I  in, 
I  in, 

I.   ,'i      7.  17 
7.20     1.83 
13.31 
1.20     3  98 

i    ii     ::  98 

1.51 

8.  13 

• 

38 
'.'.  12 
2.13 
1.73 

1.7:; 

6  -ii 
2.27 

Ji  7,:; 

■ 

3  -  ■ 

l  92 

•_'.(il 
8  38 
-  38 

1  n.: 

[0     ,7 

13.  !•> 

1    l 
7.82 
2.08 
5.03 
6.03 

8  71 
:;  33 

1903  . 

6.96 

in    .- 

I'.'iH 

10.58 

Data  supplied  bj    the   I  nited   States  Weather   Bureau. 


120 


I' KM  I 'I  RATI   IM    RE(  ORDS  OF  THE  LILY-GROWING  LOi    DUTIES 


L9 


The  average  normal  temperature  and  precipitation  at    Hamilton, 
Bermuda,  for  cadi  month  of  the  years  from  L900  to  1904,  inclusive, 

lul low  -  : 

'l  \  i  •.  1 1    ii.     / .  hi  in  niluii   and  precipitation  at  Hamilton,  Bermuda,  from  l!)00  tu 

/'.in j.  inclusirt ." 

TK.MI'KKATI   Kl 

[illy.    Auk. 
I      75.0     7-  .1      7:'.0     lis  7 


Veurs. 


.Inn.     Fell.     Mm- 


62.2 
I'RECII'ITAT] 


■I 1.9-1      III      5.  13      1.18      I  I.  II      U.OS  -        I.  19 

ta  supplied  l»y   the  1'nited   States  Weatlier   (Sun 

TEMPERATURE   RECORDS   OF  THE   LILY-GROWING    LOCALITIES   OF 
THE    UNITED   STATES. 

Fort  Brown,  Tex.  [n  the  period  from  November,  L 840, to  Decem- 
ber, L903,  at  Port  Brown  the  annua]  mean  was  73  F..  the  absolute 
maximum  L02  F..  and  the  absolute  minimum  12  F.  During  the 
period  from  January,  1894,  to  December,  L903,  with  the  records  for 
several  months  missing,  the  temperature  fell  below  3*2  F.  on  sixty-six 
occasions.  Ii  would  seem  from  these  records  that  this  vicinity  would 
be  u 1 1 la \  oral ile  for  growing  the  bulbs  on  a  commercial  basis. 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.  The  annual  mean  al  Los  Angeles  from  July, 
L877,  to  December,  1903,  is  given  as  62  F..  the  absolute  maxi- 
mum 109  F..  and  the  absolute  minimum  28  F.  In  the  period  from 
January,  1894,  to  December,  1903,  the  temperature  fell  below  32  F. 
on  five  occasions,  viz,  January  6,  1894;  January  21,  1897;  January  20 
and  %1~.  1898;  and  December  13,  1901.  This  record  was  taken  on  roof- 
uf  the  buildings  of  the  Weather  Bureau  station  GO  to  70  feet  above  the 
ground.  Near  the  surface  of  the  ground  the  maximum  temperature  is 
higher  and  the  minimum  considerably  lower.  However,  in  the  foot 
hills  near  Los  Angeles  frosl  is  unknown,  giving  ideal  conditions  for 
lily  farming. 

-    n   Diego,  Cal.     Ai   San   Diego  the  annual  mean  temperature  in 
the  period  from  Is.v>  to  L903  was  61     F..  the  absolute  maximum  KU 
F.,  the  absolute  minimum  32    F.    During  the  period  from  January  1. 
1894,  to   December  -W.   L903,  the  temperature    fell   to  32     F.  on   one 
occasion     January  7.   L894, 

Santa  Barbara,  Cal,     At  Santa  Barbara  the  annual  mean  tempera 
ture  iii  the  period  from  January,  lvsl.  to  December,  L903,  was  60    I'.. 


■i  Data  obtained  from  Bulletin  Q  of  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau. 
120 


20  PRODUCTION    OF    EASTER    LILY    BULBS. 

the  absolute  maximum  100°  F.,  and  the  absolute  minimum  28°  F. 
During  the  j^eriod  from  January,  1897,  to  December,  1903,  the  tem- 
perature fell  below  32°  F.  on  only  three  occasions — December  20, 1897, 
February  6,  1899,  and  February  3,  1903.  The  foothill  region  close  to 
Santa  Barbara  is  practically  frostless.  Here  we  find  specimens  of 
tropical  plants  such  as  Anthuriums  and  Platyceriums  growing  out  of 
doors  all  the  year  round;  also  large  specimens  of  tropical  trees  such 
as  the  mango,  Casimiroa,  and  avocado.  In  these  places  the  growth  of 
Easter  lilies  is  continuous  through  the  winter,  and  the  plants  flower 
from  one  to  two  weeks  earlier  than  on  the  level  ground  nearer  the  sea. 

120 


PLATES 


l-'O 


21 


DESCRIPTION    OF    PLATES. 

Plate  I.  Field  of  hybrid  Easter  lily. seedlings  (I. ilium  longiflorum  giganteum 
9  X  Tj.  I.  liarrisii  $  I  twelve  months  after  planting,  coming  into  flower. 
These  lilies  were  grown  by  Mr.  Fred.  Rafferty,  Santa  Ana.  Cal..  from  seed 
supplied  by  the  Bureau  <>f  Plant  Industry.  Seed  sown  October.  1905. 
Planted  in  the  tield  April  30,  1906.     Photographed  .May  30,  1907. 

Plate  II.  The  same  field  shown  in  Plate  I  in  bloom,  after  three-fourths  of  the 
flowers  had  been  cut.     Photographed  June  20,  1907. 

Plate  III.  Raising  Easter  lilies  at  Santa  Ana.  Cal.  Fig.  1.— Cloth  house  used  at 
Santa  Ana.  Cal.,  by  Mr.  Fred.  Rafferty  in  raising  seedling  lilies  previous  to 
planting  in  the  held.  Imported  l.iliiun  longiflo?'U in  liarrisii  plants  are  seen 
on  the  right.  Fig.  2.-  Interior  of  cloth  house  shown  in  figure  l.  containing 
Hiii.ddii  seedling  lilies  ready  for  the  tield. 

Plate  IV.  Hybrid  Easter  lilies,     Fig.  1. — Two-year-old  hybrid  Easter,  lily  plant 
(LUiuni  longiflorum  giganteum  9   X  L.  I.  harriaii  $)  with  :;.">  flowers,  grown 
at    Ventura,  Cal..  by  Mr.   S.  Cole.     Fig.  :'.    -Capsules  and  seeds  of  Lilium 
longiflorum  liarrisii  X    9   '■  longiflorum  S . 
120 


Plate  I. 


i 


Plate  II. 


■pm^j^lL 

fig l   r^v^s^*! 

^^ 

11  v  ^       *l 

■fte 

jL 

^^^^TJ 

KSri  ^pl  [Jp/  ^ nl 

Br  ico  1 

r     01  Kfc£/r; 

Plate  III 


Fig.  1  .—Cloth  House  Used  in  Raising  Seedlings  Previous  to  Planting  in  the  Field. 


Fig.  2. -Interior  of  Cloth  House  Shown  in  Figure  1,  Containing  100,000  Seed- 
lings Ready  for  the  Field. 


RAISING     EASTER     LILIES    AT    SANTA    ANA,     CAL. 


Plate  IV. 


31 

^* 

i 

c 

II 

<    3> 

3!    O 

en  r- 

0° 

E>42 

O   < 

11 

>  ° 

h  m 

1 

r  *^"*£T^ 

<  S 

m    h 
z  m 

-i    3) 
-< 

-  1 

r  ^fuT^i 

O  _ 
>  2? 

•  ^ 

r      v^s 

■     > 

z 
H 

W/* 

/ 

INDEX. 


Beds  versus  rows,  Easter  lily  culture  11 

Bermuda,  annual  imports  ol  Easter  lily  bulbs. T 

conditions    unfavorable   i"    production    of    Lien  I  tin  Easter    lily 

bulbs 7 

diseased  Easter  lily  bulbs  imported  7 

Easter  lily  culture  in  narrow  beds  II 

temperature  and  precipitation,  1900  I'.hii  17 

Brownsville,  Tex.,  growth  and  early  bl u  of  Easter  lily  10  11 

Bulbs,  annual  imports  from  Bermuda  7 

from  seedlings,  successful  growing.  !i   13 

Imported,  disease  prevalent—  -           :  7 

trials  in  growing  in  California  S 

most  suitable  location  for  growing  u  12 

number  grown  to  the  acre  7 

previous  efforts  to  grow  in  I'nited  States,  causes  of  failure.  7  S 

1  year's  crop,  \  a  lue  7 

dliugs  one  year  old,  sizes     13 

Byrnes,  E.  M..  experiments  with  crossed  plants  s 

California,  attempts  to  grow  imported  Easter  lily  bulbs  S 

experiments  in  growing  Easter  lily  bulbs  from  seedlings  !>  1(J 

temperature  records,  lsrso  1003  is 

lily  soil,  infestation  witb  bulb  mites  in  California  m 

Cloth  bouse  for  Easter  lily  seed  beds,  description  l(i 

Cold-storage  bulbs,  use  for  early  blooms  12 

Disease  in  imported  Easter  lily  bulbs 7 

Fertilizer,  use  of  stable  manure  on  Easter  lily  s I  beds  16 

Florida,  experiments  in  growing  Easter  lily  bulbs  from  seedlings  '.) 

Flowers  of  Easter  lily,  pollination l"i  l(i 

Fori   Brown,  Tex.,  temperature  records,  ls|<;  1903 is 

Hamilton,  Bermuda,  temperature  and  precipitation,  1900  190-1  17 

Key    West,    I  '  I :  I . .    t  eln  |  .era  t  me  a  till    I  HVei  |  lit  a  I  ion         ;i 

I, ilium  longiflorum,  description  of  development  from  seed  11 

giganteum  crossed  witb  I. ilium  I.  barrisii,  results                 12 

barrisii   crossed   with    I. ilium   longiflorum  giganteum, 

results 12 

seedlings,  characteristics  13 

variety,  change  of  type  in  seedlings  r_' 

Lily,  Easter,  best   varieties  to  grow  12 

Bowers,  pollination  l">  10 

propagation,   methods  s 

seed   hearers,  selection  i:; 

ripeness,  indications  15 

i." 


24  INDEX. 

Page. 

Litly,  Easter,  seed,  ripening,  time  required 15 

sowing,  and  care  of  seed  bed 16 

Localities  most  suitable  for  Easter  lily  bulb  growing !)-12 

Longbeach,  Cal.,  favorable  conditions  for  Easter  lily  growth 1<> 

Loomis,  Cal.,  favorable  locality  for  Easter  lily  bulb  growing !i 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  temperature,  records,  1877-1903 18 

Manure,  stable,  use  on  Easter  lily  seed  beds 16 

Miami.   Fla.,  temperature 9 

Mite,  bulb,  injuries  in  California 10 

Plates,  description 22 

1'ollination  of  Easter  lily  flowers,  directions 1 15 

Precipitation,  Bermuda,  1900-1904 IT 

Propagation,  Easter  lily,  methods 8 

selection  of  seedling  types 13 

Prospect,  Bermuda,  temperature  and  precipitation.  1900-1904 17 

Rainfall,  Bermuda.  1900-1904 17 

Bows  versus  beds  for  Easter  lily  culture 14 

San  Diego,  Cal.,  temperature  records,  1850-1903 18 

Santa  Ana,  Cal.,  favorable  condition  for  Easter  lily  growing 10 

Easter  Lily  Company,  successful  growing  from  seed 12 

Barbara,  Cal.,  temperature  records,  1881-1903_. 18 

Seed  bearers,  selection 13 

Easter  lily,  ripening,  time  required 15 

ripeness,  indications 15 

sowing,  and  care  of  seed  bed 10 

Seedling  types  for  propagation,  selection i 1.". 

Seedlings,  Easter  lily,  advantages  over  plants  produced  by  vegetative  prop- 
agation   13 

freedom   from   disease 8 

one  year  old,  large  number  of  blooms 12 

size  of  bulbs : 13 

origin  of  efforts  to  grow 8 

pricking  off 16-17 

size  at  time  of  planting 14-15 

Soil,  preparation  for  Easter  lily  seedlings 14 

Temperature,  lowest  withstood  by  Easter  lily  seedlings !> 

records  of  Bermuda,  1900-1904 17 

lily-growing  localities  in  United  States 18 

Texas,  experiments  in  growing  Easter  lily  bulbs  from  seedlings 10 

Fort  Brown,  temperature  records  1846-1903 -, 18 

southeastern,    temperature    unfavorable    for    growing    Easter    lily 

bulbs 12 

United  States,  previous  efforts  to  establish  growing  of  Easter  lily  bulbs__  7-8 

temperature  records  of  lily-growing  localities IS 

A'arieties  of  Easter  lilies  most  suitable  for  growing  in  the  United  Slates       12-13 

Ventura,  Cal.,  ravages  of  bulb  mite 10 

Vegetative  propagation,  advantages  of  seedlings  over  plants  so  produced--  13 

Washington,  experiments  in  growing  Easter  lily  bulbs  from  seedlings 9 

Woods,  Dr.  Albert  F.,  investigations  of  lily  disease 8 

Yuma,  Ariz.,  favorable  conditions  for  Easter  lily  growing 10 

120 

o 


[Continued  from  page  2  of  cover.] 

The  Vitality  and  Germination  of  Seeds.     1904      Price,   10  rents. 

59.  Pasture,  Meadow,  and  Forage  i  -Ua.     1904      Price,  10  cents. 

60.  A  Sofl  l: f  the  Calla  Lily.      1904       Price,  10  cents 

81.  The  Avocado  In  Florida.      1904       Price,  5  cen 

82.  Notes   -'I   Egyptian   Agriculture.      1904.      Price,    I"  ■ 

83.  Investigations  of  Rusts.      1904:     Price,   l"  cents. 

ill.  a  Method  ol  Destroying  or  Preventing  the  Growth  of  Alga;  and  Certain  i 

Bacteria  in  Water  Supplies.     1904.     Price,  ■"•  cents. 

<;.",.  Reclamation  •  >!  Cape  Cod  Sand  Dunes.     1904.     Price,  1  < ►  cents. 

66.  Seeds  and  Plants  Imported.     Inventory  No.   10.     1905.     P 15  cents. 

(17.  Range  Investigations  in  Arizona.     1904,     Price,  15  cenl 

68.  North  American  Species  ol  Price,  10  cents. 

69.  American  Varieties  of  Lettuce      1904      Price,   i" nts. 

70.  The  Commercial  Status  of  Durum  Wheat.     1904.     Price,  in  cents. 

71.  Soil   Inoculation  ror  Legumes.     1905.     Price,   15  cents, 

72.  Miscellaneous  Papers.     1905.     Price,  5  cents. 

7.;.  The  Developmeni  of  Single-Germ  Beel  S I      1905.     Price,  1"  cenl 

71.  Prickly  Pear  and  Other  Cacti  as  Food  for  Stock.     1905.     Price,  5  cents. 

7.*..  Range  Management  in  the  State  of  Washington.      1905.      Price,  ■"•  cents. 

76.  Copperas  an  Alglclde  and  Disinfectant  in  Water  Supplies.     1905.     Trie.',  5  cents. 

77.  'Hi'-  Avocado,  a  Saiad  I'niii  from  the  Tropics.      1905.     Price,  •">  ■•.■nts. 

78.  Improving  da-  Quality  of  Wheat.     1905.     Price,   1"  ..nts. 

7!'.  Variability  of  Wheal  Varieties  In  Resistance  to  Toxic  Salts.     1905.     Price,  5  i 

80.  Agricultural    Explorations   In  Algeria.      1905.      Price,    m  cents. 

Bl.  Evolution  of  Cellular  Structures.      1905.     Price,  5  cents. 

82.  Grass  Lands  of  the  South  Alaska  Coast.     1905.     Price,  10  cents. 

83.  The  Vitality  of  Burled  s Is.     1905.     Price,  5  cents. 

84.  The  s is  of  the  Bluegrasses,     1905.     Price,  5  cents. 

85.  The  Principles  ...    Mushroom  Growing,     ran".      Price,    10  cent's. 

si"..  Agriculture  without   Irrigation  in  the  Sahara  Desert.     1905.     Price,  5  .-.'tits. 

87.  Disease  Resistance  of  Potatoes.     1905,     Price,  5  cents. 

88.  Weevil-Resisting    Adaptations  of  the  Cotton  Plant.     1906.     Price,   10  cents. 

89.  Wild  Medicinal  Plants  of  the  United  States.     1906.     Price,  5  cents. 

90.  Miscellaneous  Papers.      1900.      Price,  5  ci 

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92.  i> air  Varieties  and  Date  Culture  in  Tunis.     1906.     Price,  -'•"•  cents. 
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96.  Tobacco  Breeding.     1907.     Price,  15  cents. 

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'.is.  s...\   Bean  Varieties.     1907.     Price,  15  cents. 

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inn.  Miscellaneous  Papers.     1907".     Price,  25  cents. 

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103.  Dry  Farming  in  the  Great   Basin       1907.      Price,  in  cents. 

104.  'I'll.'  Va '  Feldspatbic  Rocks  as  Fertilizers.      1907.     Price,  •"•  cents 

105.  The  Relation  of  the  Composition  of  the  Leaf  in  Hi.-  Burning  qualities  of  to 

1907.     Price,  in  ..'tits. 

106.  Seeds  and  Plants  Imported      Inventorj    No.    12.     1907.     Price,         ..nts. 
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ins.  The  Cold  Storage  "f  Small  Fruits.      1907.      Price,  I  ■'•  ..nts. 

109.  American  Varieties  of  Garden   Beans.      1907.      Prl  ents 

I  in.  Cranberry   Diseases.      1907.      Price,  20  (.-nts. 

111.  Pari    I.   'I'll.'   Larkspurs   ns    Poisonous    Plants.      1907.      Prl  e,     Pari    II. 

The  Fibers  of  Long-Staple  Upland  Cottons.      1907.      Price,  5  ■  *  - » 1 1  —       Pari    in 

Imp.. ft. '.1    LOW   ■  ••!'   and    Alfalfa    Seed         1907        Pre..     .      .'ills. 

112.  Tie'  I  se  of  Suprarenal  Glands  in  tii"  Physiological  Testing  of  Drug  Plants.     1007. 

Price,  H»  .■.•nts. 

II."..  Tii.'  Comparative  Toll  if  Various   Plants  for  the  Salts  Coramou   in   Alkali 

Soils.     1907.     Pii..'.  5  ..tils. 

Hi.  Sap-Rot  and  Other  Diseases  of  the  Red  Gum       1907.      P 

115.  Th.'  Disinfection  ••!  -  (fluents  for  the  Protection  ..t   Public  Water  Supplies. 

1907.     Pii'  e,   in  cents. 

116.  The  Tuns  as  I I  for  Man.      1907.     Price,   10  ..nts. 

117.  Tii,.!;. — ling  of  Depleted  Range  and  Native  Pastures.      P.n'7.     Price,        cen 
l  is  Perm  Ian  Alfalfa.     I  in  i" 

li'.i.  Thr  Mulberrj  and  Other  Silkworm  1' I  Plants,     [in  press.] 

120 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08928  2296 


